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- Bergström, Anna, et al.
(author)
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Health system context and implementation of evidence-based practices-development and validation of the Context Assessment for Community Health (COACH) tool for low- and middle-income settings
- 2015
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In: Implementation Science. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1748-5908. ; 10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: The gap between what is known and what is practiced results in health service users not benefitting from advances in healthcare, and in unnecessary costs. A supportive context is considered a key element for successful implementation of evidence-based practices (EBP). There were no tools available for the systematic mapping of aspects of organizational context influencing the implementation of EBPs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Thus, this project aimed to develop and psychometrically validate a tool for this purpose. Methods: The development of the Context Assessment for Community Health (COACH) tool was premised on the context dimension in the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services framework, and is a derivative product of the Alberta Context Tool. Its development was undertaken in Bangladesh, Vietnam, Uganda, South Africa and Nicaragua in six phases: (1) defining dimensions and draft tool development, (2) content validity amongst in-country expert panels, (3) content validity amongst international experts, (4) response process validity, (5) translation and (6) evaluation of psychometric properties amongst 690 health workers in the five countries. Results: The tool was validated for use amongst physicians, nurse/midwives and community health workers. The six phases of development resulted in a good fit between the theoretical dimensions of the COACH tool and its psychometric properties. The tool has 49 items measuring eight aspects of context: Resources, Community engagement, Commitment to work, Informal payment, Leadership, Work culture, Monitoring services for action and Sources of knowledge. Conclusions: Aspects of organizational context that were identified as influencing the implementation of EBPs in high-income settings were also found to be relevant in LMICs. However, there were additional aspects of context of relevance in LMICs specifically Resources, Community engagement, Commitment to work and Informal payment. Use of the COACH tool will allow for systematic description of the local healthcare context prior implementing healthcare interventions to allow for tailoring implementation strategies or as part of the evaluation of implementing healthcare interventions and thus allow for deeper insights into the process of implementing EBPs in LMICs.
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- Carvajal, Liliana, et al.
(author)
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Measurement of Mental Health Among Adolescents at the Population Level: A Multicountry Protocol for Adaptation and Validation of Mental Health Measures
- 2023
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In: Journal of Adolescent Health. - : Elsevier. - 1054-139X .- 1879-1972. ; 72:1S, s. S27-S33
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose: Mental disorders are among the leading causes of disability among adolescents aged 10-19 years. However, data on prevalence of mental health conditions are extremely sparse across low- and middle-income countries, even though most adolescents live in these settings. This data gap is further exacerbated because few brief instruments for adolescent mental health are validated in these settings, making population-level measurement of adolescent mental health especially cumbersome to carry out. In response, the UNICEF has undertaken the Measurement of Mental Health Among Adolescents at the Population Level (MMAP) initiative, validating open-access brief measures and encouraging data collection in this area.Methods: This protocol presents the MMAP mixed-methods approach for cultural adaptation and clinical validation of adolescent mental health data collection tools across settings. Qualitative activities include an initial translation and adaptation, review by mental health experts, focus-group discussions with adolescents, cognitive interviews, synthesis of findings, and back-translation. An enriched sample of adolescents with mental health problems is then interviewed with the adapted tool, followed by gold-standard semistructured diagnostic interviews.Results: The study protocol is being implemented in Belize, Kenya, Nepal, and South Africa and includes measures for anxiety, depression, functional limitations, suicidality, care-seeking, and connectedness. Analyses, including psychometrics, will be conducted individually by country and combined across settings to assess the MMAP methodological process.Discussion:This protocol contributes to closing the data gap on adolescent mental health conditions by providing a rigorous process of cross-cultural adaptation and validation of data collection approaches.
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- Marlow, Marguerite, et al.
(author)
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Detecting Depression and Anxiety Among Adolescents in South Africa : Validity of the isiXhosa Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7.
- 2023
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In: Journal of Adolescent Health. - : Elsevier. - 1054-139X .- 1879-1972. ; 72:S1, s. S52-S60
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- PURPOSE: Screening tools such as the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) could potentially be used in resource-limited settings to identify adolescents who need mental health support. We examined the criterion validity of the isiXhosa versions of the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 in detecting depression and anxiety among adolescents (10-19 years) in South Africa.METHODS: Adolescents were recruited from the general population and from nongovernmental organizations working with adolescents in need of mental health support. The PHQ-9 and GAD-7 were culturally adapted and translated into isiXhosa and administered to 302 adolescents (56.9% female). The Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia was administered by trained clinicians as the gold standard diagnostic measure for depression and anxiety.RESULTS: For the PHQ-9, the area under the curve was 0.88 for the full sample of adolescents (10-19 years old). A score of ≥10 had 91% sensitivity and 76% specificity for detecting adolescents with depression. For the GAD-7, the area under the curve was 0.78, and cutoff scores with an optimal sensitivity-specificity balance were low (≥6). A score of ≥6 had 67% sensitivity and 75% specificity for detecting adolescents with anxiety.DISCUSSION: The culturally adapted isiXhosa version of the PHQ-9 can be used as a valid measure for depression in adolescents. Further research on the GAD-7 for use with adolescents is recommended.
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